Tracked dental measurement device

Abstract

A method of collecting dental measurements comprising: receiving optical measurement data of at least a portion of a subject's mouth; contacting a portion of a measuring device to portions of the subject's mouth to collect position measurement data, where the measuring device includes a tracker; and combining the optical measurement data and the position measurement data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A dental measurement collection method performed by a measurement device comprising a first tracker and an elongate stylus including a tip; the method comprising:
 affixing a second tracker to a portion of the subject's mouth; said second tracker is mounted on or at least partially recessed inside an adaptor and the adaptor is sized and shaped to fit onto a portion the subject's mouth; 
 calibrating a position of the tip with respect to the first tracker of the measuring device; 
 receiving optical measurement data of at least a portion of a subject's mouth by an intraoral scanner (IOS) and the optical measurement data corresponds to a 3D model of a surface of the at least a portion of the subject's mouth; 
 contacting a portion of a measuring device to portions of the subject's mouth for collecting position measurement data; 
 aligning the optical measurement data and the position measurement data; 
 combining the optical measurement data and the position measurement data to generate an updated 3-Dimensional (3D) model; 
 and 
 measuring a position of the measuring device with respect to the second tracker, 
 wherein said receiving and said collecting are performed by two devices that are not attached to each other. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement data and the position measurement data are associated with portions of a patient's mouth which do not completely overlap. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising correcting accumulated error in the optical measurement data using the position measurement data to correct accumulated error in a scan along a plurality of teeth. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein combining comprises correcting the 3D model using the position measurement data to generate a corrected 3D model. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising using the position measurement data to improve accuracy of the optical measurement data. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1  wherein:
 the measuring device comprises an elongate stylus including a tip, and 
 the position measurement data comprises position measurement data for subgingival locations in the subject's mouth. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said
 contacting comprises contacting the tip of the elongate stylus to subgingival portions of at least one tooth. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising affixing the second tracker to a subject's tooth or teeth. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising estimating a required amount of position measurement data for a portion of the subject's mouth. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the measurement device is a standard dental probe onto which the first tracker is mounted. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the measurement device comprises a dental drill, and 
 the method further comprises measuring a position of said dental drill with respect to the second tracker. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises affixing said tracker to a portion of the subject's mouth. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said tracker includes an electromagnet an electromagnetic position sensor configured to sense a position of the electromagnet. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first tracker and the second tracker includes an electromagnet and at least one of the first tracker and the second tracker includes an electromagnetic position sensor configured to sense a position of the electromagnet. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said adaptor is one or more of an adhesive, a clamp, a rubber dam clamp, a loop of material tightened onto the tooth, a 3D printed adaptor, a dental implant abutment. 
     
     
       16. A dental measurement collection system for collecting dental measurements comprising:
 a measurement device comprising:
 an elongate element sized and shaped to be inserted between a tooth and surrounding gingiva; 
 a first tracker mounted on or at least partially recessed within the measurement device; 
 a second tracker; 
 and 
 an intraoral scanner (IOS); 
 
 wherein:
 said measuring device and said intraoral scanner (IOS) are not attached to each other, 
 a position of the tip is calibrated with respect to the first tracker of the measuring device, 
 said second tracker is configured to be affixed to a portion of the subject's mouth, and 
 said second tracker is mounted on or at least partially recessed inside an adaptor and the adaptor is sized and shaped to fit onto a portion the subject's mouth. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the second tracker is configured to be positioned external to the measurement device and not connected to a subject's mouth. 
     
     
       18. The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a processor configured to cause the system to:
 align optical measurement data from the IOS and position measurement data from the measurement device; 
 combine the optical measurement data and the position measurement data; and 
 generate a 3-Dimensional (3D) model using the combined optical measurement data and position measurement data. 
 
     
     
       19. The system according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 at least one of the first tracker and the second tracker includes an electromagnet; and 
 at least one of the first tracker and the second tracker includes an electromagnetic position sensor configured to sense a position of the electromagnet. 
 
     
     
       20. The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a third tracker configured to be attached to a portion of a subject's mouth. 
     
     
       21. The system according to  claim 16 , wherein said adaptor is one or more of an adhesive, a clamp, a rubber dam clamp, a loop of material tightened onto the tooth, a 3D printed adaptor, a dental implant abutment. 
     
     
       22. A dental measurement collection method comprising:
 receiving optical measurement data of at least a portion of a subject's mouth; 
 contacting a portion of a measuring device to portions of the subject's mouth to collect position measurement data; 
 aligning the optical measurement data and the position measurement data; 
 combining the optical measurement data and the position measurement data to generate a 3-Dimensional (3D) model; 
 and 
 correcting accumulated error in the optical measurement data using the position measurement data to correct accumulated error in a scan along a plurality of teeth.